Method and positioning device for determining the position of a track-guided vehicle, in particular a rail vehicle

Abstract

A method for determining the position of a track-guided vehicle, in particular a rail vehicle, includes readjusting a distance measuring device on the vehicle for obtaining position-determining distance measurement values based on position marker information available at position markers on the track, wherein the position marker information is captured by a position marker information recorder connected to the distance measuring device. In order to be able to carry out an exact determination of the position of a track-guided vehicle in a comparatively simple way, the position marker information of the same position marker is detected again by a further position marker information recorder being offset relative to the first position marker information recorder in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and a generation of further position-determining distance measurement values is initiated. A positioning device for determining the position of a track-guided vehicle is also provided.

Claims

1. A method for determining a position of a rail vehicle, the method comprising the following steps: using a distance measuring device provided on the vehicle for obtaining first position-determining distance measurement values; readjusting the distance measuring device based on position marker information available at a position marker on a track; using a first position marker information recorder connected to the distance measuring device for capturing the position marker information; using a second position marker information recorder, being offset relative to the first position marker information recorder in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, for capturing the position marker information of the same position marker and initiating a generation of second position-determining distance measurement values; connecting a first evaluation device and a further evaluation device to the distance measuring device; installing the first position marker information recorder at a front of the vehicle and installing the second position marker information recorder at a rear of the vehicle; when a given position marker is passed by the first position marker information recorder, adjusting the distance measuring device using position marker information captured by the first position marker information recorder, and then providing position-determining distance measurement values of the distance measuring device, which has been adjusted to the first evaluation device and, with the first evaluation device, determining the position of the vehicle from the position-determining distance measurement values of the distance measuring device, which has been adjusted, until the given position marker is passed by the second position marker information recorder; and when the given position marker is passed by the second position marker information recorder, readjusting the distance measuring device or a further distance measuring device connected to the second position marker information recorder, by position marker information from a respective position marker captured by the second position marker information recorder, and then providing position-determining distance measurement values of the distance measuring device, which has been readjusted, to the further evaluation device and, with the further evaluation device, determining the position of the vehicle from the position-determining distance measurement values of the distance measuring device, which has been readjusted.

2. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises using the second position marker information recorder to activate the distance measuring device, with readjustment, for generating the second position-determining distance measurement values.

3. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises using the second position marker information recorder to activate a connected further distance measuring device on the vehicle, with readjustment, for generating the second position-determining distance measurement values.

4. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises monitoring the first position-determining distance measurement values for compliance with predetermined tolerance limits, so that if the position-determining distance measurement values are at a tolerance limit, the second position-determining distance measurement values are used for determining the position of the vehicle if a tolerance of the second position-determining distance measurement values is less than a tolerance limit of the first position-determining distance measurement values.

5. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises using the first position-determining distance measurement values for determining the position of the vehicle until activation by the second position marker information recorder, and thereafter using the second position-determining distance measurement values.

6. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises providing the distance measuring devices with odometer pulse generators, radar range-finding devices, range-finding equipment with acceleration sensors, range-finding configurations with eddy current samplers, or range-finding units with optical rail samplers.

7. A positioning device for determining a position of a rail vehicle, the positioning device comprising: a distance measuring device provided on the vehicle for obtaining first position-determining distance measurement values, said distance measuring device being readjusted based on position marker information present at a position marker on a track; a first position marker information recorder connected to said distance measuring device; a second position marker information recorder provided on the vehicle and being offset relative to said first position marker information recorder in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle; a first evaluation device and a further evaluation device connected to said distance measuring device; said second position marker information recorder being configured to capture the position marker information of the same position marker and to initiate a generation of second position-determining distance measurement values; the first position marker information recorder is installed at a front of the vehicle and the second position marker information recorder is installed at a rear of the vehicle; wherein the positioning device is configured such that when a given position marker is passed by the first position marker information recorder, the distance measuring device is adjusted using position marker information captured by the first position marker information recorder, and until the given position marker is passed by the second position marker information recorder, position-determining distance measurement values of the distance measuring device, which has been adjusted, are provided to the first evaluation device, and the first evaluation device is configured to determine the position of the vehicle from the position-determining distance measurement values of the distance measuring device, which has been adjusted; and wherein the positioning device is configured such that when the given position marker is passed by the second position marker information recorder, the distance measuring device or a further distance measuring device connected to the second position marker information recorder is readjusted by position marker information from a respective position marker captured by the second position marker information recorder, and after the readjustment, position-determining distance measurement values of the distance measuring device, which has been readjusted, are provided to the further evaluation device, and the further evaluation device is configured to determine the position of the vehicle from the position-determining distance measurement values of the distance measuring device, which has been readjusted.

8. The positioning device according to claim 7, wherein said second position marker information recorder is configured to activate said distance measuring device, with readjustment, for generating said second position-determining distance measurement values.

9. The positioning device according to claim 7, which further comprises: a further distance measuring device disposed on the vehicle and connected to said second position marker information recorder; said second position marker information recorder being configured to activate said second distance measuring device, with readjustment, for generating said second position-determining distance measurement values.

10. The positioning device according to claim 9, wherein the first evaluation device is connected to said distance measuring device for monitoring said first position-determining distance measurement values for compliance with predetermined tolerance limits, so that if position-determining distance measurement values are at a tolerance limit, said further position-determining distance measurement values are used for determining the position of the vehicle if a tolerance of said second position-determining distance measurement values is less than a tolerance limit of the first position-determining distance measurement values.

11. The positioning device according to claim 7, wherein said distance measuring device is configured to use said first position-determining distance measurement values for determining the position of the vehicle until activated by said second position marker information recorder and is configured to thereafter use said second position-determining distance measurement values.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SINGLE VIEW OF THE DRAWING

(1) The figure of the drawing is a fragmentary, diagrammatic, side-elevational view of a track-guided vehicle and a position marker.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(2) In order to explain the invention further, an exemplary embodiment of a positioning device according to the invention is illustrated in the figure, wherein said positioning device comprises respectively corresponding distance measuring devices and position marker information recorders at the front and tail of the track-guided vehicle.

(3) The figure shows a track-guided vehicle 1 which is equipped at the front 2 with a distance measuring unit 3 in the form of a merely schematically illustrated odometer pulse generator. In addition, a further distance measuring unit 4, here in the form of a radar sensor, is arranged adjacent to the first distance measuring unit 3. Both distance measuring units 3 and 4 together form a distance measuring device 5 and are connected (in a manner that is not illustrated) to an evaluation device 6 which together with the distance measuring device 5 forms a distance measuring arrangement 7. The evaluation device 6 is part of a vehicle device 8, which also has an arrangement 9 for performing further vehicle functions such as automatic train operation and train control, for example.

(4) The track-guided vehicle 1 is additionally equipped with a position marker information recorder in the form of a position marker reader 10, which then interacts with a merely schematically illustrated position marker 11 and provides position information to the evaluation device 6 (in a manner that is not illustrated) when the track-guided vehicle 1 with its position marker reader 10 goes past the position marker 11 during a movement in the direction of the arrow 12. Also schematically illustrated in FIG. 1 are wheels 13 and 14 on axles (not shown) of the track-guided vehicle 1.

(5) When the track-guided vehicle 1 during its travel arrives in the region of the position marker 11, position marker information is transmitted to the evaluation device 6. In this case, both the odometer pulse generator of the first distance measuring unit 3 and the radar sensor of the further distance measuring unit 4 are readjusted (in a manner that is not illustrated); they resume their distance measurement while generating distance measurement values. The distance measuring unit 3 in the form of an odometer pulse generator is characterized by measured values of great accuracy at the beginning of the distance covered from the position marker 10, and therefore these distance measurement values as position-determining distance measurement values M1 are initially used for the purpose of determining the position. The radar sensor of the further distance measuring unit 4 is initially relatively inaccurate, particularly at low speeds. However, this changes at higher speeds.

(6) A further distance measuring arrangement 20 is provided at the tail 21 of the vehicle 1 shown. This distance measuring arrangement 20 is constructed in accordance with the first distance measuring arrangement 7, and therefore contains a further distance measuring device 22 with an additional distance measuring unit 23 in the form of an odometer pulse generator and a further additional distance measuring unit 24 in the form of a further radar sensor. Moreover, part of the further distance measuring arrangement 20 is a further evaluation device 25 corresponding to the first evaluation device 6. The evaluation device 25 is part of a further vehicle device 26, which also has an arrangement 27 for performing further vehicle functions such as automatic train operation and train control, for example.

(7) When the track-guided vehicle 1 during travel in the direction of the arrow 12 arrives with its position marker reader 10 in the region of the position marker 11, the odometer pulse generator of the first distance measuring unit 3 is readjusted, and the first distance measurement values supplied by this distance measuring unit are used as position-determining distance measurement values M1 by the first evaluation device 6 for the purpose of determining the position. This takes place until the track-guided vehicle 1 with its further position marker reader 28 arrives in the region of the position marker 11. At this point in time, the odometer pulse generator of the first additional distance measuring unit 23 is readjusted by the position marker information of the position marker 11 received by the further evaluation device 25, and its distance measurement values are transmitted as further position-determining distance measurement values M2 to the further evaluation device 25. The further evaluation device 25 then assumes responsibility for determining the position of the track-guided vehicle 1. This continues until the track-guided vehicle 1 with its position marker reader 10 passes a further position marker (not shown in the FIG. 2), whereupon the first distance measuring unit 3 is readjusted again and its distance measurement values as the first position-determining distance measurement values are used again by the evaluation device 6 for the purpose of determining the position. This means that, assuming an interval of e.g. 500 meters between the position marker 11 and a further position marker which is positioned next in the direction of the arrow 12 and a train length of e.g. 300 meters, 300 meters of the distance covered by the track-guided vehicle 1 is monitored by the first distance measuring unit 3 for the purpose of determining the position of the track-guided vehicle 1, and the remaining 200 meters is monitored by the first additional distance measuring unit 23 in the further distance measuring device 22 of the distance measuring arrangement 20 at the tail 21 of the vehicle 1. If in a further assumed scenario the interval between the position markers is again 500 meters but the train has a length of only 100 meters, then the distance measurement values of the first distance measuring unit 3 are used over 100 meters and the further distance measurement values of the first additional distance measuring unit 23 are used for the remaining 400 meters. The track-guided vehicle 1 therefore measures predominantly using the first additional distance measuring unit 23 at the tail 21 of the vehicle 1, and only uses the first distance measuring unit 3 at the front 2 of the track-guided vehicle for a length of vehicle after the vehicle passes over the respective position marker. This results in a significant improvement in accuracy when determining the position of the vehicle 1.